Translation arabic -english Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Translation arabic -english - Dissertation Example Since children are the most innocent stratum of society, and are considered to be the future builders of their nation as well, special care is given while producing literature for them for the adequate socialisation and brought up of the innocent minds. Although hundreds of thousands of books, journals and novelettes are available in the market, material of which is generally based upon local tales, fiction and moral stories, yet the parents and teachers look for inclusion of foreign literature in the studies meant for children, so that the young minds can obtain familiarity with the literature has been being produced at global scale. It is important for children to be exposed to different cultures from a young age and to have their world knowledge broadened by stories and characters from all over the world. (Sas, 2010:2) Translated children’s literature is able to break down barriers of geography, language and race and that learning about other cultures is an enriching experi ence that opens up new horizons and stimulates new ideas†. (Hallford, 2005: 4) Since children are not in a position to study themselves the material written in a foreign language, the services of proficient and professional translators are hired to translate the foreign study material in simple and comprehensible native language.

International Politics Conflict Paper Assignment Russia and the Essay

International Politics Conflict Paper Assignment Russia and the Ukraine - Essay Example The reasons for this unpredictability can be numerous and distorted, however there are some common motives how they govern their commitments when facing a challenge. The Soviet and U.S. behavior are classic cases produced in the history of world affairs. This case belongs to two countries that have a history of sharing resources on particular terms until from the past few years they have faced turbulence from the supplier. The particular transaction that seems to create a ripple effect is the transfer of Natural Gas between the countries, which is facing strict resource scarcity recently. On the surface it may seem clear that a greater power (Russia) would always have an upper hand in the deal and determine the fate of the relation of two countries. The study of International affairs helps us to teach complexities that even bring minor countries the weightage to determine their own terms. Ukraine although is not yet a member of the European Union, however is looking forward to tie in with NATO to serve its own defense for unforeseen political issues. The most immediate resistance close to the strength of Russia is the European Union. The EU altho ugh has the advantage of a greater voice, is still burdened with scarcity of natural resources. 82% of its entire consumption of oil and 57% of gas makes it the world’s leading importer of fuels. The major supplier for these fuels is Russia, and has been increasing after following strategic investments and agreements from Russia. There can be no definite decision to determine fate of the economic dependence, reason being there are many reasons behind this dependence. Ukraine, Georgia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania are some of the members which used to be a part of the Soviet Union, but they are still quite influenced by Russia today. This is possible by retaining economic dependence from Russia. However all members except Georgia and Ukraine have decided to join hands with the European Union to strengthen themselves particularly against Russian pressure, which explains why there has been conflict with Georgia and now Ukraine. Ukraine currently is depending on a natural gas deal that is not for the needs of Ukraine itself but a number of member states of the EU.3 Therefore Ukraine also serves as a transit country in terms of deliver the resource. Conflict starts when their prices increased by a large amount per thousand cubic meters. The rate was $179.50 in 2008 and now it has increased to $450 per thousand cubic meters.4 It is a sudden increase which was not expected nor would reflect intention of sound relations for unknown purpose. While these gas supply lines have been cut off it has brought notice to the EU, compelling it to research for alternate Energy solutions. Schelling explains in his book that the 'face' of a nation is a non-serious attitude towards political affairs. However there is definitely the 'image' of a country that is seriously taken and understood by other countries when we want to understand their expectations. It is a reaction caused to save a particular reputation of the country. Russia becomes a fitting example when already a number of ex-Soviet member states are attempting to individualize them and free

Identity as citizenship and the human rights

Identity as citizenship and the human rights This essay will be discussing about one of the three types of Bruneis citizenship. Brunei citizenship is divided into three categories. It is categorise by color which are yellow, purple and green and these color will be the color of the identity card hold by each of Brunei citizenships according to which citizenship they are categorised. In Brunei Darussalam, different identity card holder will get different specialty offered by the Bruneis government because in Brunei Darussalam, Brunei government is responsible for its citizen welfare. Specialty means welfare in terms of education, health care and job offer. The welfare given is different from one identity card holder to another. IDENTITY AS CITIZENSHIP AND THE HUMAN RIGHTS The focus of this essay will be on the purple card holder and my focal point is on students. The issue will be discuss after I elaborate the details of the purple citizenship status and their human rights in their stay in Brunei Darussalam. The purple card holder is for a citizen who came into Brunei Darussalam and married to a Brunei woman. This citizenship will also descent to their children if the father are not a local Bruneian. The child whose father holding the purple citizenship is categorise the same as their fathers citizenship even though they are born in Brunei. Purple card citizenship can also be given to people who plan to live permanently in Brunei Darussalam. The specialty given to the purple citizenship is different from what is given to the yellow card citizenship. Yellow citizenship is the pure citizenship which is called as local people. There is another citizenship status in Brunei which is a green card holder which will not be include in this discussion but the b est description is this type of citizenship is for temporary foreign worker who work in Brunei with two years renewable visa. The local people are the community who are given the specialty from the government in terms of education, health care and job offer. Local students are given scholarship for education. They do not have to pay anything for their primary school and secondary school even texts books are provided without any expense demands. Unlike the purple card citizenship, although they are born in Brunei they have to pay the school fees. The school fee is paid monthly and the cost will be increasing as they went to a higher level of education. Regarding health care, people with purple citizenship have to pay the amount of BND$30 for every prescription unlike the local citizenship which is the yellow card holder they only paying an amount of BND$1 for their prescription. They also have to pay for their stay if they were admitted in the hospital while local people pay nothing. Other than that, the purple card holder also cannot work as a government staff only until they get their yellow citizenship. The issue that questions this situation is why as a permanent citizenship (purple card holder) do not get the government specialty even though they have been staying in Brunei permanently and even some of them are born in Brunei. In Brunei if a local resident (yellow card holder) students applying for university they have to have an outstanding result in order to get a scholarship. If they are qualified with their result they will continue their study to the university and they will be given monthly allowance by the government. Unlike the purple citizenship, even though they get an outstanding result but they cannot enter the university by scholarship. They have to pay the school fee which is at the amount of BND$4000 per semester and this will cost them an overall of BND$24,000 for the whole degree course which took four years to be completed. As of the different welfare, occur some cases in Brunei where some parents did not afford to pay their childrens school fee and despondently their children are categorise as a very outstanding student in school. Sometime the students have to quit even at their early primary or secondary school because they could not continue their study due to financial matter. What makes it as a fair decision to differentiate a student with foreign father to pay for their education but they have been in Brunei since they born and are not going to another place to stay and grow other than in Brunei. If the government let them get the same benefit as the local resident will that harm the government in any way? This is the question which really needs a clear explanation especially for those who faced this situation. The children are considered as Brunei asset but why they have to be treated like foreigner. If the government cannot make any change to this children welfare who else can support their future. If the government cannot overcome this situation what will happen in the future if the number of unemployment is increasing. This would trouble the country and even adverse the future of Brunei because of the regardless of some outstanding asset. Below are the law and regulations of Brunei Government for applying the yellow card citizenship as stated in Brunei National Registry Members Section.  Available: http://www.imigresen.gov.bn.html. Last accessed 19th Jannuary 2011. The yellow card citizenship are recognise as the people of His Royal Highness Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam. Only this people are eligible to get the welfare specialty given by the government. So in order to get the entire welfare from the government the resident with purple card holder can apply to change their purple card to yellow by the following regulations. ABSOLUTE EFFECTIVE BY THE LAW (CHAPTER 4 OF THE NATIONAL STANDARD OF BRUNEI) Application Requirements Status as a people of His Royal Highness Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam: 1 Section is recognized as the Peoples Representatives of His Majesty Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam. 2 Assign legally in the country while the application is made. REGISTRATION BY [Chapter 5 (1), 6 (1) and 8 (1) OF THE NATIONAL STANDARD OF BRUNEI] CHAPTER 5 (1) THE APPLICANT IS BORN IN STATE Requirements for Applying for Status as the People of His Royal Highness Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam: The applicant has reached 18 years when the application is made The applicant is recognized as permanent residents to have Entry Permit / Residence Permit for 12 years from the date of issue Resided continuously in the country for 2 years prior to application Qualifications to people of His Majesty Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam: Good behavior (to be reviewed by the parties concerned) Malay Language Examination Citizenship Status should divest Origin Obedience Oath lift Seta (after obtaining consent of His Gracious Majesty Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam. CHAPTER 6 (1) APPLICATION STATUS BY FATHER / MOTHER / PARENTS lift CITIZENS OF BRUNEI Application Requirements Status as a people of His Royal Highness Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam The applicant is under 18 years old when the application is made Father / Mother / Parent Adoption is recognized as a people of His Majesty Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam Legally residing in Brunei Darussalam during the application is made. Eligibility To be people of His Majesty Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam Good behavior (to be reviewed by the parties concerned) Shall deprive Kewarganegraan Original Status CHAPTER 8 (1) THE APPLICANT IS BORN ABROAD Application Requirements Status as a people of His Royal Highness Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam The applicant is under 18 years old when the application is made The application is recognized as permanent residents with Entry Permit / Residence Permit for 20 years from the date of issue Resided continuously in the country for 2 years prior to application. Eligibility To be people of His Majesty Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam Good behavior (to be reviewed by the parties concerned) Passed the Malay Language Shall deprive Kewarganegraan Original Status Faithful Obedience Oath lift (after getting Perkenaan His Gracious Majesty Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam) As the regulation stated in the law of Department Of Immigration and National Registration Ministry of Domestic Affair Brunei it shows that it is applicable to be the people of His Majesty Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam as long as they are qualified according to the law and regulation of National regulation. Somehow what can be seen from the regulation is it took a very long time for a purple card citizen to become and even apply the yellow citizenship. It is at some points wasting their time waiting and also wasting their money to spend on expense demand as a purple citizenship while at the end they will still to be recognized as a yellow citizenship. Therefore in this case time is really matter because through time it shows how much we spend for the expense demand and we could thing how worth it is to spend that amount of money just to go through that time estimation stated in the regulation. What if within the time the students are not be able to continue their study just because they cannot afford to pay the fees and after a long time when they get the yellow citizenship but at that time it is already impossible for them to continue their study because of their age factor. In Brunei there is school regulation where only certain age can enter certain level of education as stated in Education System.  Available: http://www.moe.edu.bn. Last accessed 15th Jannuary 2011. If they could not continue their study just because of this matter then who are to be blame and who are to be responsible for their future. According to regulation on chapter 5(1) for applicants who born in Brunei. They can only apply the yellow citizenship if the y reach their age of 18 years old. But if we think about this prudently why do the parents have to pay for their education until they reach their age of 18 years old and then after that they are conform to be a local citizenship. This is a waste of money. Of course in terms of future it is sometimes under the responsibilities of their parents. But what if the father earns low income just because he cannot work with the government. The government cannot offer any job and he has to work at private sector with low salary because he is still waiting for the yellow citizenship and he could not get the job offer by the government since he is still holding the purple citizenship. This will affect the future of their child especially when they have number of children to depend on them. As stated in Job Vacancy.  Available: http://www.pelitabrunei.gov.bn. Last accessed 19th Jannuary 2011 which is showing the conditions for applying government job as below: General Conditions: The applicants of the people of His Majesty Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam. The applicant knowledge of kerasmian religion, customs, culture, social development, economics and politics of Brunei Darussalam. Willing to work anytime outside normal working hours on working on a rotation basis (shift) or during public holidays and also be willing to serve in any district in the country. In order for a child to rely on their fathers citizenship as stated in the regulation chapter 6(1) the father has to have a permit of 20 years as a purple citizenship (permanent citizenship) and the child must not yet reach the age of 18. Lets say the father has not reach the estimation time staying in Brunei for 20 years and the child are already eligible to apply the yellow citizenship, this would delayed the child from making the application for the yellow citizenship until they reach their age of 18 years old. There are also cases happen to purple citizen students where they have to postpone from entering the university because they have to wait until they reach their age of 18 years old to make them eligible to get the scholarship to enter the university as the regulation stated in admission.  Available: http://www.ubd.edu.bn. Last accessed 15th Jannuary 2011. They also do not have any option for example to work with the government even though the finished their study in the government school by fee because they have to have the yellow citizenship. In cases like this also happen that the child cannot make the application to get the yellow citizenship at all because if they already reach their age of 18 and was born abroad and their father have not reach the 20 years being a permanent resident they are no longer eligible to make an application. This is because as stated in chapter 8(1) if applicants are born abroad they are only eligible to make application before they reach the age of 18 years old. They also having problem to apply for scholarship to study abroad. In Brunei, students with outstanding A level result will be eligible to get study abroad scholarship but the condition is they must be holding the yellow citizenship as stated in Scholarship.  Available: http://www.moe.edu.bn. Last accessed 15th Jannuary 2011. For students who are holding purple citizenship, they cannot apply for this scholarship even they have got a very excellent result. Therefore some of them who did not afford to pay for a very expensive school fee cannot continue their study to a higher level of education especially university. Sometime they have to waste their time waiting for their citizenship application to be approved by the Department Of Immigration and National Registration Ministry of Domestic Affair Brunei. For applicants stated in chapter 8(1) the law and regulation of Department Of Immigration and National Registration Ministry of Domestic Affair Brunei for applicants who was born abroad in order to be have the yellow citizenship of Brunei they have to pass their Malay Language Test. If they do not pass the test they have to try until they can get through and qualified to be the yellow citizenship. In this cases happen that they have to try for so many years to be qualified but what is worth trying in years in order to get the scholarship if the scholarship has limit the requirement only to students who is below 25 years old. In Brunei if someone is to apply for education scholarship they must be not more than 25 years old. If someone with purple citizenship are recognised as the yellow citizenship after their age of 25 years old than what is worth fighting for doing the test in years while according to their academic qualification they are actually qualified to continue their study. For those who can afford to pay for their education to university level and manage to complete their degree with outstanding qualification that does not mean that they can work with the government. This is because the regulation to work with the government is they must have a yellow citizenship. If they do not qualified in terms of citizenship their academic result will not be considered by the government even though they are qualified in terms of academic qualification. In the end they have to spend years working with private sector and earn lower income which is not suitable for their academic qualification and what have they been going through will continuously happen to their children as well. Some of them also have to move to other country to seek for appropriate and suitable job for their qualification. CONCLUSION There are so many things to be considered and analysed in this issue. The regulation delayed the application in terms of the demand of the time requirements to be the yellow citizenship. Most applicants have to wait for a very long time until they are applicable to be the yellow citizenship. Along their journey to get the yellow citizenship they have lost so many valuable things such as their time, their effort and even their future. If this happen continuously to the resident of Brunei specially the purple citizen it will leads to a big lost to the country in terms of losing the intelligent assets and also will leads to massive number of unemployment in the future. It is not erroneous to put a law for people to apply the yellow citizenship of Brunei. But the time required for the purple citizenship to apply the yellow citizenship should be decreased for the country and resident own good and for a better future. (2,860 words) Bibligraphy: admission.  Available: http://www.ubd.edu.bn. Last accessed 15th Jannuary 2011 Education System.  Available: http://www.moe.edu.bn. Last accessed 15th Jannuary 2011. Job Vacancy.  Available: http://www.pelitabrunei.gov.bn. Last accessed 19th Jannuary 2011 Members Section.  Available: http://www.imigresen.gov.bn.html. Last accessed 19th Jannuary 2011 Scholarship.  Available: http://www.moe.edu.bn. Last accessed 15th Jannuary 2011.

Travelling the World Essay -- Literary Analysis, Jules Verne

In the nineteenth century, it seemed impossible to circumnavigate the world in only eighty days. That, however, was exactly what Phileas Fogg did in Jules Verne’s Around the World in Eighty Days. This novel follows the journey of the eccentric Englishman, Phileas Fogg, after he bet he could race around the world in just eighty days. Accompanied by his faithful servant, Passepartout, and a scheming detective, Fix, he encountered and overcame many challenges in order to return in time to win the bet. In Around the World in Eighty Days, Jules Verne demonstrated how industrialization profoundly impacted travel, technology, and business. In addition, Verne showed how industrialization contributed to the rise of nationalism and European imperialism. Industrialization was an important economic development of the nineteenth century. Industrialization was the process of turning an agricultural society into an industrialized one, based on the manufacturing of goods and services. This meant new technological innovation and economic development. Industrialization was important because it led to new technologies and inventions that vastly improved life, such as the steam engine and the water frame. Industrialization also impacted businesses by stimulating and enabling their expansion into new markets for raw materials, consumers, and investments. Industrialization also impacted Fogg’s journey. Phileas Fogg’s journey was made possible by the growing industrialization of the time. One example of industrialization in the novel was the extensive use of trains. During the nineteenth century, nations all over the world built rail lines. When Phileas Fogg reached India, for example, the change from old forms of transportation to ... ...gh the eyes of their domestics† (24). In this case, Fogg was not concerned with learning the natives’ culture. Like many European governments, he only cared that his country obtained the land, but did not care about the people in it. Ultimately, imperialism had a worldwide impact in the nineteenth century. In Around the World in Eighty Days, Jules Verne demonstrated how industrialization profoundly impacted travel, technology, and business. In addition, Verne showed how industrialization contributed to the rise of nationalism and European imperialism. Verne’s novel showed how industrialization, nationalism, and imperialism affected individuals. It also demonstrated how these themes interacted and influenced each other. Ultimately, Around the World in Eighty Days exhibited the important movements of the nineteenth century and their significance in history.

Comparing two fictional novels

Telling the difference between two fictional novels is a simple task but finding a similarity within them both is a hard thing to do, or so you may think. When I think of the comparison of the two novels, which I need to pick, there are many books In which I have read before but none as interesting as what I am about to share. One of the books is â€Å"Daughter of the Sea, Hannah† by Kathy Lacks. The other one Is â€Å"The Fallen† by Thomas E. Singsongs. Let us look at the differences between the two novels In the next paragraph.One of the differences Is the thickness of the book and the size of the words. The novel â€Å"Daughter of the Sea, Hannah† Is obviously for smaller kids around five to ten to read as the words are huge and the thickness of the book Is quite thin. Meanwhile â€Å"The Fallen† Is squeezed with tiny little words and Is bounded together In a thick stack. A teenager like me would read one of this. There are even more differences than th ese. The plot of â€Å"Daughter of the sea, Hannah† revolves around an orphan girl as she gradually finds out more about herself as she grows up.She is not like a normal human being but actually something else†¦ The Fallen† is a novel about a teenage boy having odd events happening around him when he later finds out that he is actually the son of a fallen angel. These two novels have not only different kinds of themes but also different kinds of sentence structures. As you know that the novel â€Å"Daughter of the Sea, Hannah† is one for the lower grades to read, it will definitely be filled with simple sentences such as: â€Å"Whatever the creature was, it looked free, utterly free. And â€Å"Hannah could not quite believe it. † These sentences are simple to allow the lower grades to understand the novel better. While, the novel â€Å"The Fallen† as sentences like: â€Å"As intolerable as the voices had become, the sudden lack of them was eq ually extreme. † and â€Å"The door began to slowly open with the high-pitched whine that Tom had been threatening to put oil to since the summer, and three men entered on a powerful gust of wind. † Can you see the differences between them now? † Now, lets move on to the similarities of these two novels.So what makes these two books so different yet so similar? One of it is the plot of these two books. In both stories, the main character is put into hard positions where they have to make decisions that might change they're lives forever. Not only that, both main characters meet new people on their quest and also fall in love. I did not notice they were that similar until I really thought about It. When you read a novel, you do not usually compare the characters with others from another novel.But I noticed that between these two books, both the mall characters are orphans and both have kind, caring and strong characteristics. Whereas for the villain, has a strange, cruel and twisted personality. Every good novel needs a good ending sentence. â€Å"Daughter of the Sea, Hannah† concludes Its story with: â€Å"l am not alone! There Is a world out there. While â€Å"The Fallen† concludes Its novel with: â€Å"By touch he found what was needed, a twelve-Inch blade that glinted sharply In the beams of sunlight that streamed in through openings In the boarded-up windows. The first word that came into my mind was confidence. Why? Because they show me that they what. Something really interesting about the similarities about these two books is that the authors of these two books had me thinking and reflecting to myself. I thought; â€Å"If I were to make an important decision in the future, will I choose the right one? Can I be as strong as them if it goes wrong? Or will I Just snap like a twig and break down? I can see what the authors of these two books was trying to show us and I felt what they wanted me to feel. It's amazing how di fferent these books are and yet how similar they can be. May they be from different genres, for different age groups and with different plots. There will always be a similarity between any two fiction books of any kind. When you compare and contrast two very different books, using you brain and a little bit of you literature knowledge, you will be able to spot the similarities as soon as a strike of lightning.

The Host Chapter 28: Unenlightened

It was disorienting to wake in the absolute dark. In the past months, I'd gotten used to having the sun tell me it was morning. At first I thought it must still be night, but then, feeling the sting of my face and the ache of my back, I remembered where I was. Beside me, I could hear the sound of quiet, even breathing; it did not frighten me, because it was the most familiar of sounds here. I was not surprised that Jamie had crept back and slept beside me last night. Maybe it was the change in my breathing that woke him; maybe it was just that our schedules had become synchronized. But seconds after I was conscious, he gave a little gasp. â€Å"Wanda?† he whispered. â€Å"I'm right here.† He sighed in relief. â€Å"It's really dark here,† he said. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"You think it's breakfast time yet?† â€Å"I don't know.† â€Å"I'm hungry. Let's go see.† I didn't answer him. He interpreted my silence correctly, as the balk it was. â€Å"You don't have to hide out here, Wanda,† he said earnestly, after waiting a moment for me to speak. â€Å"I talked to Jared last night. He's going to stop picking on you-he promised.† I almost smiled. Picking on me. â€Å"Will you come with me?† Jamie pressed. His hand found mine. â€Å"Is that what you really want me to do?† I asked in a low voice. â€Å"Yes. Everything will be the same as it was before.† Mel? Is this best? I don't know. She was torn. She knew she couldn't be objective; she wanted to see Jared. That's crazy, you know. Not as crazy as the fact that you want to see him, too. â€Å"Fine, Jamie,† I agreed. â€Å"But don't get upset when it's not the same as before, okay? If things get ugly†¦ Well, just don't be surprised.† â€Å"It'll be okay. You'll see.† I let him lead the way out of the dark, towing me by the hand he still held. I braced myself as we entered the big garden cavern; I couldn't be sure of anyone's reaction to me today. Who knew what had been said as I slept? But the garden was empty, though the sun was bright in the morning sky. It reflected off the hundreds of mirrors, momentarily blinding me. Jamie was not interested in the vacant cave. His eyes were on my face, and he sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth as the light touched my cheek. â€Å"Oh,† he gasped. â€Å"Are you okay? Does that hurt bad?† I touched my face lightly. The skin felt rough-grit crusted in the blood. It throbbed where my fingers brushed. â€Å"It's fine,† I whispered; the empty cavern made me wary-I didn't want to speak too loudly. â€Å"Where is everybody?† Jamie shrugged, his eyes still tight as they surveyed my face. â€Å"Busy, I guess.† He didn't lower his voice. This reminded me of last night, of the secret he wouldn't tell me. My eyebrows pulled together. What do you think he's not telling us? You know what I know, Wanda. You're human. Aren't you supposed to have intuition or something? Intuition? My intuition tells me that we don't know this place as well as we thought we did, Melanie said. We pondered the ominous sound of that. It was almost a relief to hear the normal noises of mealtime coming from the kitchen corridor. I didn't particularly want to see anyone-besides the sick yearning to see Jared, of course-but the unpopulated tunnels, combined with the knowledge that something was being kept from me, made me edgy. The kitchen was not even half full-an oddity for this time of the morning. But I barely noticed that, because the smell coming from the banked stone oven overruled every other thought. â€Å"Oooh,† Jamie moaned. â€Å"Eggs!† Jamie pulled me faster now, and I had no reluctance to keep pace with him. We hurried, stomachs growling, to the counter by the oven where Lucina, the mother, stood with a plastic ladle in her hand. Breakfast was usually serve-yourself, but then breakfast was also usually tough bread rolls. She looked only at the boy as she spoke. â€Å"They tasted better an hour ago.† â€Å"They'll taste just fine now,† Jamie countered enthusiastically. â€Å"Has everyone eaten?† â€Å"Pretty much. I think they took a tray down to Doc and the rest†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Lucina trailed off, and her eyes flickered to me for the first time; Jamie's eyes did the same. I didn't understand the expression that crossed Lucina's features-it disappeared too quickly, replaced by something else as she appraised the new marks on my face. â€Å"How much is left?† Jamie asked. His eagerness sounded a trifle forced now. Lucina turned and bent, tugging a metal pan off the hot stones in the bottom of the oven with the bowl of the ladle. â€Å"How much do you want, Jamie? There's plenty,† she told him without turning. â€Å"Pretend I'm Kyle,† he said with a laugh. â€Å"A Kyle-sized portion it is,† Lucina said, but when she smiled, her eyes were unhappy. She filled one of the soup bowls to overflowing with slightly rubbery scrambled eggs, stood up, and handed it to Jamie. She eyed me again, and I understood what this look was for. â€Å"Let's sit over there, Jamie,† I said, nudging him away from the counter. He stared in amazement. â€Å"Don't you want any?† â€Å"No, I'm -† I was about to say â€Å"fine† again, when my stomach gurgled disobediently. â€Å"Wanda?† He looked at me, then back at Lucina, who had her arms folded across her chest. â€Å"I'll just have bread,† I muttered, trying to shove him away. â€Å"No. Lucina, what's the problem?† He looked at her expectantly. She didn't move. â€Å"If you're done here, I'll take over,† he suggested, his eyes narrowing and his mouth setting in a stubborn line. Lucina shrugged and set the ladle on the stone counter. She walked away slowly, not looking at me again. â€Å"Jamie,† I muttered urgently under my breath. â€Å"This food isn't meant for me. Jared and the others weren't risking their lives so that I could have eggs for breakfast. Bread is fine.† â€Å"Don't be stupid, Wanda,† Jamie said. â€Å"You live here now, just like the rest of us. Nobody minds it when you wash their clothes or bake their bread. Besides, these eggs aren't going to last much longer. If you don't eat them, they'll get thrown out.† I felt all the eyes in the room boring into my back. â€Å"That might be preferable to some,† I said even more quietly. No one but Jamie could possibly hear. â€Å"Forget that,† Jamie growled. He hopped over the counter and filled another bowl with eggs, which he then shoved at me. â€Å"You're going to eat every bite,† he told me resolutely. I looked at the bowl. My mouth watered. I pushed the eggs a few inches away from me and then folded my arms. Jamie frowned. â€Å"Fine,† he said, and shoved his own bowl across the counter. â€Å"You don't eat, I don't eat.† His stomach grumbled audibly. He folded his arms across his chest. We stared at each other for two long minutes, both our stomachs rumbling as we inhaled the smell of the eggs. Every now and then, he would peek down at the food out of the corner of his eye. That's what beat me-the longing look in his eyes. â€Å"Fine,† I huffed. I slid his bowl back to him and then retrieved my own. He waited until I took the first bite to touch his. I stifled a moan as the taste registered on my tongue. I knew the cooled, rubbery eggs weren't the best thing I'd ever tasted, but that's how it felt. This body lived for the present. Jamie had a similar reaction. And then he started shoveling the food into his mouth so fast it seemed he didn't have time to breathe. I watched him to make sure he didn't choke. I ate more slowly, hoping that I'd be able to convince him to eat some of mine when he was done. That was when, with our minor standoff over and my stomach satisfied, I finally noticed the atmosphere in the kitchen. I would have expected, with the excitement of eggs for breakfast after months of monotony, more of a feeling of celebration. But the air was somber, the conversations all whispered. Was this a reaction to the scene last night? I scanned the room, trying to understand. People were looking at me, a few here and there, but they weren't the only ones talking in serious whispers, and the others paid me no mind at all. Besides, none of them seemed angry or guilty or tense or any of the other emotions I was expecting. No, they were sad. Despair was etched on every face in the room. Sharon was the last person I noticed, eating in a distant corner, keeping to herself as usual. She was so composed as she mechanically ate her breakfast that at first I didn't notice the tears dripping in streaks down her face. They fell into her food, but she ate as if she were beyond noticing. â€Å"Is something wrong with Doc?† I whispered to Jamie, suddenly afraid. I wondered if I was being paranoid-maybe this had nothing to do with me. The sadness in the room seemed to be part of some other human drama from which I'd been excluded. Was this what was keeping everyone busy? Had there been an accident? Jamie looked at Sharon and sighed before he answered me. â€Å"No, Doc's fine.† â€Å"Aunt Maggie? Is she hurt?† He shook his head. â€Å"Where's Walter?† I demanded, still whispering. I felt a gnawing anxiety as I thought of harm befalling one of my companions here, even those who hated me. â€Å"I don't know. He's fine, I'm sure.† I realized now that Jamie was just as sad as everyone else here. â€Å"What's wrong, Jamie? Why are you upset?† Jamie looked down at his eggs, eating them slowly and deliberately now, and did not answer me. He finished in silence. I tried to pass him what was left in my bowl, but he glowered so fiercely that I took it back and ate the rest without any more resistance. We added our bowls to the big plastic bin of dirty dishes. It was full, so I took it from the counter. I wasn't sure what was going on in the caves today, but dishes ought to be a safe occupation. Jamie came along beside me, his eyes alert. I didn't like that. I wouldn't allow him to act as my bodyguard, if the necessity arose. But then, as we made our way around the edge of the big field, my regular bodyguard found me, so it became a moot point. Ian was filthy; light brown dust covered him from head to toe, darker where it was wet with his sweat. The brown streaks smeared across his face did not disguise the exhaustion there. I was not surprised to see that he was just as down as everyone else. But the dust did make me curious. It was not the purple black dust inside the caves. Ian had been outside this morning. â€Å"There you are,† he murmured when he saw us. He was walking swiftly, his long legs cutting the distance with anxious strides. When he reached us, he did not slow, but rather caught me under the elbow and hurried me forward. â€Å"Let's duck in here for a minute.† He pulled me into the narrow tunnel mouth that led toward the eastern field, where the corn was almost ripe. He did not lead me far, just into the darkness where we were invisible from the big room. I felt Jamie's hand rest lightly on my other arm. After half a minute, deep voices echoed through the big cavern. They were not boisterous-they were somber, as depressed as any of the faces I'd read this morning. The voices passed us, close by the crack where we hid, and Ian's hand tensed on my elbow, his fingers pressing into the soft spots above the bone. I recognized Jared's voice, and Kyle's. Melanie strained against my control, and my control was tenuous anyway. We both wanted to see Jared's face. It was a good thing Ian held us back. â€Å"†¦ don't know why we let him keep trying. When it's over, it's over,† Jared was saying. â€Å"He really thought he had it this time. He was so sure†¦ Oh, well. It will be worth all this if he figures it out someday,† Kyle disagreed. â€Å"If.† Jared snorted. â€Å"I guess it's a good thing we found that brandy. Doc's going to blow through the whole crate by nightfall at the rate he's going.† â€Å"He'll pass out soon enough,† Kyle said, his voice beginning to fade in the distance. â€Å"I wish Sharon would†¦Ã¢â‚¬  And then I couldn't make out any more. Ian waited until the voices faded completely, and then a few minutes more, before he finally released my arm. â€Å"Jared promised,† Jamie muttered to him. â€Å"Yeah, but Kyle didn't,† Ian answered. They walked back out into the light. I followed slowly behind them, not sure what I was feeling. Ian noticed for the first time what I carried. â€Å"No dishes now,† he told me. â€Å"Let's give them a chance to clean up and move on.† I thought about asking him why he was dirty, but probably, like Jamie, he would refuse to answer. I turned to stare at the tunnel that led toward the rivers, speculating. Ian made an angry sound. I looked back at him, frightened, and then realized what had upset him-he'd only just seen my face. He raised his hand as if to lift my chin, but I flinched and he dropped it. â€Å"That makes me so sick,† he said, and his voice truly did sound as if he were nauseated. â€Å"And worse, knowing that if I hadn't stayed behind, I might have been the one to do it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I shook my head at him. â€Å"It's nothing, Ian.† â€Å"I don't agree with that,† he muttered, and then he spoke to Jamie. â€Å"You probably ought to get to school. It's better that we get everything back to normal as soon as possible.† Jamie groaned. â€Å"Sharon will be a nightmare today.† Ian grinned. â€Å"Time to take one for the team, kid. I don't envy you.† Jamie sighed and kicked the dirt. â€Å"Keep an eye on Wanda.† â€Å"Will do.† Jamie shuffled away, casting glances back at us every few minutes until he disappeared into another tunnel. â€Å"Here, give me those,† Ian said, pulling the bin of dishes from me before I could respond. â€Å"They weren't too heavy for me,† I told him. He grinned again. â€Å"I feel silly standing here with my arms empty while you lug these around. Chalk it up to gallantry. C'mon-let's go relax somewhere out of the way until the coast is clear.† His words troubled me, and I followed him in silence. Why should gallantry apply to me? He walked all the way to the cornfield, and then into the cornfield, stepping in the low part of the furrow, between the stalks. I trailed behind him until he stopped, somewhere in the middle of the field, set the dishes aside, and sprawled out on the dirt. â€Å"Well, this is out of the way,† I said as I settled to the ground beside him, crossing my legs. â€Å"But shouldn't we be working?† â€Å"You work too hard, Wanda. You're the only one who never takes a day off.† â€Å"It gives me something to do,† I mumbled. â€Å"Everyone is taking a break today, so you might as well.† I looked at him curiously. The light from the mirrors threw double shadows through the cornstalks that crisscrossed over him like zebra stripes. Under the lines and the dirt, his pale face was weary. â€Å"You look like you've been working.† His eyes tightened. â€Å"But I'm resting now.† â€Å"Jamie won't tell me what's going on,† I murmured. â€Å"No. And neither will I.† He sighed. â€Å"It's nothing you want to know anyway.† I stared at the ground, at the dark purple and brown dirt, as my stomach twisted and rolled. I could think of nothing worse than not knowing, but maybe I was just lacking in imagination. â€Å"It's not really fair,† Ian said after a silent moment, â€Å"seeing as I won't answer your question, but do you mind if I ask you one?† I welcomed the distraction. â€Å"Go ahead.† He didn't speak at once, so I looked up to find the reason for his hesitation. He was staring down now, looking at the dirt streaked across the backs of his hands. â€Å"I know you're not a liar. I know that now,† he said quietly. â€Å"I'll believe you, whatever your answer is.† I waited again while he continued to stare at the dirt on his skin. â€Å"I didn't buy Jeb's story before, but he and Doc are pretty convinced†¦ Wanda?† he asked, looking up at me. â€Å"Is she still in there with you? The girl whose body you wear?† This was not just my secret anymore-both Jamie and Jeb knew the truth. Neither was it the secret that really mattered. At any rate, I trusted Ian not to go blabbing to anyone who would kill me over it. â€Å"Yes,† I told him. â€Å"Melanie is still here.† He nodded slowly. â€Å"What is it like? For you? For her?† â€Å"It's†¦ frustrating, for us both. At first I would have given anything to have her disappear the way she should have. But now I†¦ I've gotten used to her.† I smiled wryly. â€Å"Sometimes it's nice to have the company. It's harder for her. She's like a prisoner in many ways. Locked away in my head. She prefers that captivity to disappearing, though.† â€Å"I didn't know there was a choice.† â€Å"There wasn't in the beginning. It wasn't until your kind discovered what was happening that any resistance started. That seems to be the key-knowing what's going to happen. The humans who were taken by surprise didn't fight back.† â€Å"So if I were caught?† I appraised his fierce expression-the fire in his brilliant eyes. â€Å"I doubt you would disappear. Things have changed, though. When they catch full-grown humans now, they don't offer them as hosts. Too many problems.† I half smiled again. â€Å"Problems like me. Going soft, getting sympathetic to my host, losing my way†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He thought about that for a long time, sometimes looking at my face, sometimes at the cornstalks, sometimes at nothing at all. â€Å"What would they do with me, then, if they caught me now?† he finally asked. â€Å"They'd still do an insertion, I think. Trying to get information. Probably they'd put a Seeker in you.† He shuddered. â€Å"But they wouldn't keep you as a host. Whether they found the information or not, you would be†¦ discarded.† The word was hard to say. The idea sickened me. Odd-it was usually the human things that made me sick. But I'd never looked at the situation from the body's perspective before; no other planet had forced me to. A body that didn't function right was quickly and painlessly disposed of because it was as useless as a car that could not run. What was the point of keeping it around? There were conditions of the mind, too, that made a body unusable: dangerous mental addictions, malevolent yearnings, things that could not be healed and made the body unsafe to others. Or, of course, a mind with a will too strong to be erased. An anomaly localized on this planet. I had never seen the ugliness of treating an unconquerable spirit as a defect as clearly as I did now, looking into Ian's eyes. â€Å"And if they caught you?† he asked. â€Å"If they realized who I was†¦ if anyone is still looking for me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I thought of my Seeker and shuddered as he had. â€Å"They would take me out and put me in another host. Someone young, tractable. They would hope that I would be able to be myself again. Maybe they would ship me off-planet-get me away from the bad influences.† â€Å"Would you be yourself again?† I met his gaze. â€Å"I am myself. I haven't lost myself to Melanie. I would feel the same as I do now, even as a Bear or a Flower.† â€Å"They wouldn't discard you?† â€Å"Not a soul. We have no capital punishment for our kind. Or any punishment, really. Whatever they did, it would be to save me. I used to think there was no need for any other way, but now I have myself as proof against that theory. It would probably be right to discard me. I'm a traitor, aren't I?† Ian pursed his lips. â€Å"More of an expatriate, I'd say. You haven't turned on them; you've just left their society.† We were quiet again. I wanted to believe what he said was true. I considered the word expatriate, trying to convince myself that I was nothing worse. Ian exhaled loudly enough to make me jump. â€Å"When Doc sobers up, we'll get him to take a look at your face.† He reached over and put his hand under my chin; this time I didn't flinch. He turned my head to the side so he could examine the wound. â€Å"It's not important. I'm sure it looks worse than it is.† â€Å"I hope so-it looks awful.† He sighed and then stretched. â€Å"I suppose we've hidden long enough that Kyle's clean and unconscious. Want some help with the dishes?† Ian wouldn't let me wash the dishes in the stream the way I usually did. He insisted that we go into the black bathing room, where I would be invisible. I scrubbed dishes in the shallow end of the dark pool, while he cleaned off the filth left behind by his mystery labors. Then he helped me with the last of the dirty bowls. When we were done, he escorted me back to the kitchen, which was starting to fill up with the lunch crowd. More perishables were on the menu: soft white bread slices, slabs of sharp cheddar cheese, circles of lush pink bologna. People were scarfing down the delicacies with abandon, though the despair was still perceptible in the slump of their shoulders, in the absence of smiles or laughter. Jamie was waiting for me at our usual counter. Two double stacks of sandwiches sat in front of him, but he wasn't eating. His arms were folded as he waited for me. Ian eyed his expression curiously but left to get his own food without asking. I rolled my eyes at Jamie's stubbornness and took a bite. Jamie dug in as soon as I was chewing. Ian was back quickly, and we all ate in silence. The food tasted so good it was hard to imagine a reason for conversation-or anything else that would empty our mouths. I stopped at two, but Jamie and Ian ate until they were groaning in pain. Ian looked as though he was about to collapse. His eyes struggled to stay open. â€Å"Get back to school, kid,† he said to Jamie. Jamie appraised him. â€Å"Maybe I should take over†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Go to school,† I told him quickly. I wanted Jamie a safe distance from me today. â€Å"I'll see you later, okay? Don't worry about†¦ about anything.† â€Å"Sure.† A one-word lie wasn't quite so obvious. Or maybe I was just being sarcastic again. Once Jamie was gone, I turned on the somnolent Ian. â€Å"Go get some rest. I'll be fine-I'll stay someplace inconspicuous. Middle of a cornfield or something.† â€Å"Where did you sleep last night?† he asked, his eyes surprisingly sharp under his half-closed lids. â€Å"Why?† â€Å"I can sleep there now, and you can be inconspicuous beside me.† We were just murmuring, barely over a whisper now. No one paid us any attention. â€Å"You can't watch me every second.† â€Å"Wanna bet?† I shrugged, giving up. â€Å"I was back at the†¦ the hole. Where I was kept in the beginning.† Ian frowned; he didn't like that. But he got up and led the way back to the storage corridor. The main plaza was busy again now, full of people moving around the garden, all of them grave, their eyes on their feet. When we were alone in the black tunnel, I tried to reason with him again. â€Å"Ian, what's the point of this? Won't it hurt Jamie more, the longer I'm alive? In the end, wouldn't it be better for him if -â€Å" â€Å"Don't think like that, Wanda. We're not animals. Your death is not an inevitability.† â€Å"I don't think you're an animal,† I said quietly. â€Å"Thanks. I didn't say that as an accusation, though. I wouldn't blame you if you did.† That was the end of our conversation; that was the moment we both saw the pale blue light reflecting dimly from around the next turn in the tunnel. â€Å"Shh,† Ian breathed. â€Å"Wait here.† He pressed my shoulder down gently, trying to stick me where I stood. Then he strode forward, making no attempt to hide the sound of his footsteps. He disappeared around the corner. â€Å"Jared?† I heard him say, feigning surprise. My heart felt heavy in my chest; the sensation was more pain than fear. â€Å"I know it's with you,† Jared answered. He raised his voice, so that anyone between here and the main plaza would hear. â€Å"Come out, come out, wherever you are,† he called, his voice hard and mocking.